WOOD-WARBLER: WILLOW-WARBLER. 133 



woods, and plantations of old growth, and is seldom 

 seen in hedges or brushwood, like the yellow wren." 

 This accounts for its rarity in this neighbourhood, 

 (common as it is in many other counties,) where we 

 have no large woods, and where the beech is not in- 

 digenous. I have never heard above three or four 

 individuals in the course of a long term of years. 

 These have been mostly noticed in the beginning of 

 May, generally for a few days only ; which leads me 

 to doubt whether the species ever breeds with us, and 

 whether the above were not merely in their way to 

 other localities in the kingdom more congenial to 

 their habits. 



WILLOW-WARBLER.* 



May 21 st, 1824. WE found to-day the nest of a 

 willow-warbler, in a tuft of grass on the ground, 

 containing five eggs. The nest was large for the 

 size of the bird, and nearly spherical, with a small 

 opening on one side near the top. It was composed 

 of dried grass, stalks, and coarse herbage, and pro- 

 fusely lined with feathers. The eggs were white, and 

 speckled all over with light rust-colour ; in some, the 

 spots were chiefly confined to the larger end. They 

 had been incubated some days. I am told, in Nor- 

 folk the nest of this bird is called an oven, which it 

 not unaptly represents in miniature, as regards 

 shape. 



This species of warbler will occasionally sing in its 

 flight ; Mr. Selby has observed the same of the wood- 



* Sylvia trochilus, Lath. 



